December 11: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn Quotes

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Russian novelist, was born on 11 December 1918. On the 100th anniversary of his birth, here are 10 quotes from him:

1. The battle-line between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.
2. Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.
3. A state of war only serves as an excuse for domestic tyranny.
4. The simple step of a courageous individual is not to take part in the lie. One word of truth outweighs the world.
5. Intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education.
6. If you want to change the world, who do you begin with, yourself or others? I believe if we begin with ourselves and do the things that we need to do and become the best person we can be, we have a much better chance of changing the world for the better.
7. Morality is always higher than law and we cannot forget this ever.
8. A man is happy so long as he chooses to be happy and nothing can stop him.
9. To do evil a human being must first of all believe that what he's doing is good.
10. Everything you add to the truth subtracts from the truth.

My Christmas Novella!

A Very Variant Christmas

Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.

The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?

Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.

Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.

Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.

Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.

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